One. Finally finished finals!

Two. Finally read all 5 PJO books! Also LOL I JUST REALIZED HOW YOUNG NICO IS IN THE PJO BOOKS? I feel embarrassed about my old thalico stories…also how did I forget thalia became a hunter? Basically please don't read any of my old stories, they kind of suck, and I get the feeling I might just delete them all

Three. Realized my tumblr URL didn't show. It's "not-quirky-lol". Please message me if you follow me!

Four. Please review

Italics is Annabeth, bold is Percy.

"Percy!" that harpy, I mean, Jen said, "I've been looking all over for you!"

"Oh really? I'm right here." Percy said dreamily, looking dazed. I listened for his thoughts but his mind was empty.

She beamed at him, "So are you ready partner?" Hold up. Partner? Surely she couldn't mean –

"Yeah, I know we'll definitely win!" he said happily, "We'll own this race!"

"Um, excuse me?" I snarled, "I'm your partner!"

He looked at me confusedly, "No, Annabeth, you told me that you were partnering with Nico. You said that you almost always die when you're with me and you hate it." He looked sad.

"I never said that!" I protested, "And I can prove it to you." I pushed my memory of us deciding to be partners into his mind.

-FLASHBACK-

The Titan War was over and the world had been saved. It was the end of summer and I was waiting for Percy by the lake. So much had happened between us and it was driving me crazy keeping how I felt inside.

He popped up to the surface and grinned at me. My heart melted a little. He had gotten stronger and more muscular from the war. He no longer resembled that scrawny scrap of a boy he had been when he got here. Now he was a man. He was admired by the gods, the demigods, and basically anyone you knew. The amount of attention he was getting was ridiculous and getting out of hand. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

He came up to land and it was hard not getting sucked into his eyes. I used to make fun of girls who admired eyes but his were intoxicatingly warm and I hated myself for every moment I bathed in them.

"Man it was hard to get out of there." He said, "The naiads have become a lot nicer to me. Not sure why."

"Maybe it's because you're a big hero now." I said sarcastically. We sat down on the dock, our feet in the water.

He smirked at me, "Well, I was the Chosen One." I rolled my eyes at him.

"It could have been any of the Big Three's kid. You just were the closest to being sixteen."

He sobered up, "I know, it feels strange. I still can't believe it was me and I still don't know how to react to it, you know? And we've lost so many friends along the way. None of my feelings seem right. Should I be sad? Proud? Angry?" He stared into the water.

"It's okay." I said gently, "You did the best you could and you saved us all."

I put a hand on his shoulder and he deflated even more.

"If only I could have saved them." He said softly, his voice almost a whisper, "I can't sleep because of the nightmares I have."

"I know how you feel." I said sadly, "I have them too. I see his face all the time."

"Luke?" he asked. I nodded, feeling the tears well up in my eyes.

"He died a hero." Percy said firmly, "I know that I stopped believing in him for some time, but you never did."

He turned towards me and placed his hands on my face, wiping away my tears. When they finally stopped he didn't move his hands. Instead we locked eyes and I could see the little flecks of gold in his. We both started leaning closer when –

"Umwannabemypartner?" he asked springing back, dropping his hands like my face was covered in boils.

"What?" I asked, startled.

"For the Cross Country Competition? It's next summer. I can't think of anyone else to be my partner." He was still talking really fast.

"Um yeah sure." I said. I felt really confused. Weren't we just about to…to…

"Awesome, see you later!" he smiled and bolted out of there.

What in the Hades just happened?

-FLASHBACK ENDS-

Percy rubbed his eyes and suddenly I heard the buzz of his mind. Yes, you're right. You are my partner.

Can you see her? Jen. She's standing right in front of you.

This small brown haired girl?

Yeah, just pretend you know her. Because she thinks you guys are kind of a thing.

Oh…err okay.

He patted her shoulder gently, "I picked Annabeth to be my partner already. I'm sorry if I promised you otherwise. I might have not been paying attention to what you were saying."

Jen gave him some real big brown eyes, "Could I be part of your team? It's not against the rules to have more than two people."

"No way." I said, "We don't roll like that."

"I'll be your partner." A voice rang out from behind her, "I don't have one."

I looked around to see who it was. Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, and the most angsty teenager I'd ever met.

Jen looked disappointed but nodded, "Okay, I guess."

He walked up to us and scowled. He was wearing black ripped jeans, a huge leather jacket, and some angry looking t-shirt. He looks like he finally got some rest. Agreed.

He smirked at Percy, "It's time for another Big Three kid to win." Actually it's time for a non-Big Three kid to get the glory.

Why, jealous, Chase?

Ugh I hate you.

Percy smiled and clapped him on the back, "Challenge accepted."

"Do you want to spar?" Nico asked, almost hopefully, "I've gotten a lot stronger."

"Yeah sure!" he ruffled Nico's hair, "See you later Annabeth." They walked off and Nico actually seemed a little happier.

That left me alone with Jen who didn't look so friendly anymore.

"Watch your back, Annabeth Chase."

I looked at her suspiciously. She smiled evilly. Then she turned around and left me with a sense of foreboding.

I had a lot to think about, namely, it seemed like pushing that memory into Percy's mind had awoken him. Which reminds me of something I had forgotten. After Percy had broken our not-kiss and ran off, something else had happened.

-FLASHBACK-

I was staring angrily at the water. I can't believe we had almost kissed…again!

First there was that impulsive kiss I had given him at Mount Saint Helens when I thought he was going to die. And then he didn't. I'll admit it wasn't my first kiss because…well…okay I had been thinking about kissing him for a really long time and I didn't want my first kiss with Percy to be bad. Athena always has a plan.

And then he went and got stranded with Calypso. Now I don't have anything against her personally but she's a beautiful immortal being and at the time I was like what? 14? 15? Forgive me for being pissed and maybe even insecure. I mean I had a lot of acne at that time and I was still growing and it was generally just an uncomfortable time for me.

I was hoping maybe things would change when he asked for a kiss of good luck before he battled the Minotaur again. But, no, I had been distracted about Luke and I don't know I was confused about what I felt and I should give kissed him. But I didn't and I still regret it.

Then there was Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Geez. I used to hate her because I thought she was going to steal Percy from me, and you know what? I could see that she was a great person. She was mortal, understanding, easy going, artsy and so different from me. The perfect person for a demigod especially one as troubled and powerful as Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. Also, Apollo only choses beautiful maidens to be his Oracle so you could see where I was coming from. Luckily, Apollo knocked her out of the ring, and I'm not going to lie - that night I offered an extra slice of pizza to him. So what? I can be petty and I'm always strategizing. It makes having a crush annoying especially when you can't stop analyzing and reading into everything his big, fat, stupid head does.

I heard a giggle from behind me. I whirled around to see a beautiful brunette filing her nails.

"Lady Aphrodite." I said warily, not sure why she was gracing me with her presence.

"Ahh, yes! Annabeth. My favorite daughter of Athena." She exclaimed, putting her nail file away, "Just the demigod I wanted to see."

"Um…do you need me for something?" I asked cautiously. Aphrodite, though not taken very seriously, was very dangerous. I was stuck in a one sided crush and it affected me so much that I could see how her powers could drive someone mad.

"Hmm. We haven't had a good love story in sooo long." She said poutily, "Your modern society is so anti-love. It's depressing. All these lovers in the world not being able to be together because of who your world leaders think should be together. It was much better in the old days."

"Okay?" I still didn't know what she was alluding to.

"I decided that you and Percy will be the next big love story!" she exclaimed happily, "Won't that be so fun?"

I don't think I've ever blushed so hard in my entire life, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're so silly!" she giggled, "Friends from childhood, fighting together monsters like brothers-in-war. And then, suddenly! Everything changes. You realize how handsome and dashing – "

" - more like dumb and annoying – " I grumbled.

" – young Perseus is and before you can make a move, gasp! In comes a slew of beautiful men and women to distract him. Me, the most beautiful of course but he's too young for me."

"I would hope so." I muttered but she didn't seem to be listening. She was on a roll.

"Then you kiss! And you think everything will change, but it doesn't. Things go on as usual and it eats you up inside! You wonder how, and my dear you're a child of Athena you can be just as vain as one of my children, he can't see how amazing you are. You wonder how he can't see how you're more intelligent than anyone he knows, how you've always had his back, how you've taken knives for him, how you would die for him!" I fell silent. It was uncomfortable how her monologue had hit close to home.

"And then there's the whole forbidden love thing with your mother and his father being rivals." She practically sang, "Almost as good as my daughter Juliet's fate."

"They were real?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, duh!" she said happily, "And of course I couldn't just let Percy kiss you back then! No, it has to be delicious, and agonizing and if I'm seeing clearly there are a few others who love him just as dearly."

Wait, what? Someone else actually liked and tolerated Seaweed Brain? Also, she stopped our kiss? I was getting pissed. But I didn't want her to know that.

"Of course! I need some more angst dear, and I'm not just feeling it out of you. Others are crushing you in that department though." she said, reading my thoughts anyways, "A handsome hero attracts many admirers, especially when he's the greatest hero of the millennium. And those dreamy green eyes!"

I sputtered not knowing what to say. She smiled at me, "Don't try to make any moves before the time is right or you'll ruin my plan!" Then I averted my eyes as she poofed off.

-END FLASHBACK-

I started to head back to my cabin to prepare some plans for the race. I wonder if this mind reading thing was all part of her plan. I literally did not remember that memory until now and it sure explained a lot. See I had moved to New York to attend a boarding school and hung out with Percy and Rachel a lot. My feelings towards Rachel had cooled a lot though and she was pretty fun to hang out with. Especially with the Oracle-no-dating rule. But every time Percy and I were having a "moment" something would happen and it would be broken up.

One time I had even grabbed his face and went in for the kill. Bad idea. A swarm of doves and swans had come out of nowhere and almost knocked me into traffic. After that I had stopped trying. All those almost memories flooded into my mind and I realized Aphrodite had been interfering for longer than just today.

I glared at the sky and wondered what I had done to attract the attention of Aphrodite. I briefly wondered that if she had the power to hide my memories then she might be the one taking chunks of Percy's as well. I reached my cabin and was about to enter when a swarm of spiders and tarantulas fell on me. I did what any intelligent, cunning child of Athena would do.

I screamed and fainted.

A/n: hmm…what's going on? Please review!